The recent upgrade to 15.2 has broken our PDF build. I've found the problem to be in:

plugins/org.dita.pdf2/build.xml

Please post here the error message. You can find it in a view called DITA OT [DITA Map PDF] at the bottom of the Oxygen window, where it shares the same screen area with the Transformation Errors view. Just switch between the tabs with the views containing the transformation output messages and errors.

The copyCoreArtwork target is referencing files in the webhelp? Why is this --- why are the builds interdependent in this way?

For consistency: for displaying the same icon images in the Author editing mode, in the Webhelp transformation output and in the PDF output for the icon indicators of DITA elements for warnings, cautions, tips, dangers, etc.

The build break was the image files we used in the PDF build were not showing up in the generated PDF. So, there was no error in performance, the output was wrong.

I don't agree that it is good release engineering practice to reference one plugin structure from the build of another. If Oxygen plans to continue this practice, maybe document it? If it is, I missed it.

I've corrected the build.xml by backing out that change in the ant task. Suboptimal yes, but our current build structure does not use the Customization directory Oxygen's recommend. I didn't set the original up and I am not yet at a point to restructure to use the Customization directory method.

The build break was the image files we used in the PDF build were not showing up in the generated PDF. So, there was no error in performance, the output was wrong.

Please give more details. Where are the image files located relative to the input DITA map file, what image file references are used in the DITA topic files, what does the PDF output display instead of these images? If the images included in the DITA topic files are not included in the PDF output you should see at least an error message for each missing image, in the list of output messages issued by the DITA PDF transformation, in the view called DITA OT [DITA Map PDF].

Can you please send us the complete list of messages from this view, displayed at the bottom of the Oxygen view? You have to enable the display of this view on the Output tab of the DITA transformation, the option is called Show console output - Always.

I've corrected the build.xml by backing out that change in the ant task. Suboptimal yes, but our current build structure does not use the Customization directory Oxygen's recommend. I didn't set the original up and I am not yet at a point to restructure to use the Customization directory method.

Do you need to customize the DITA PDF transformation? What type of customizations do you need in the PDF transformation? You should set a customization directory in the DITA PDF transformation only if you want to customize the PDF transformation. You can palce your customization directory in any location you want on the local filesystem, you just have to set the path of that customization directory in the customization.dir parameter of the DITA PDF transformation.

I use Oxygen xml Editor 18.1. Please help me correct a problem that causes a red circle exclamation point error msg.

For the first time I am using <note type="fastpath">
<step>
<cmd>In the <uicontrol>Sales Description</uicontrol> text box, type a description
for use on your website. </cmd>
<info><note type="fastpath">Capitalize and punctuate as desired because <xref
href="../topics/c_recommended-character-use.xml" type="concept"/> does
not apply.</note></info>
</step>

The pdf transform generates an error looking for a nav_right16.png.png
It is odd that the missing file has repeated png extension. The file nav_right16.png appears in several files and directories in my
C:/Program Files/Oxygen XML Editor 18/ directory.

It seems you are using a custom transformation scenario and most probably you have a DITA OT customization.
As the error complains, the image file with the ".png.png" extension does not exist and the additional ".png" may come from your own customization.

I suggest you should try using a clean installation of oXygen, without any customization - make sure that the clean oXygen will use its own bundled DITA OT (you could check which DITA OT is in use in the Options > Preferences > DITA) and see if the error still persists.

As a last resort, you should send us a minimal sample for which the error is reproducible (you could either send the sample files on support@oxygenxml.com, or use the online technical support form if the size exceeds the email limit) and we could try to investigate further.